X’s automated ad vision left advertisers underwhelmed

Elon Musk’s vision to automate as much of the ad process as possible using Grok has been met with a lukewarm response from advertisers.

Part of the hesitation is that it requires handing over complete control to an AI tool — something advertisers already do reluctantly with Google and Meta. Doing so on a platform with X’s historical volatility makes the leap even harder.

“We’re still hesitant with X because it’s historically underperformed and Grok, its AI assistant, is unproven,” said Christopher Spong, associate director, social media and communications at Collective Measures. “We’d need proof of its viability from a reputable source. The ‘trust us, bro’ messaging advertisers have been getting from X leadership isn’t inspiring confidence.”

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Dentsu’s latest deal signals rising holdco interest in NIL creators

The line between athlete and influencer is evaporating as more advertising dollars flow into sports, creator marketing, and into the U.S. name, image and likeness (NIL) cottage industry that straddles both worlds.

Agency holding groups are paying close attention. Japanese agency group Dentsu struck a deal with MOGL, a company providing matchmaking services between NIL creators and brands, Digiday has learned.

The deal grants Dentsu and its clients (which include 7-Eleven, American Express and T-Mobile) access to some 30,000 college athlete creators across 1,100 U.S. universities.

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